I have been singing the praises of grilling season now for a few weeks. For good reason: there is no better way to quickly pull together a tasty dinner. In fact, I haven’t turned on our oven since we pulled our grill out of winter storage and onto the patio! One recipe that has been on near-constant rotation at our house recently is a simple grilled shrimp dish with a garlic basil marinade. I serve it with grilled veggie skewers of zucchini, red onions and tomatoes (brushed with the same flavorful dressing) and some warm couscous and fresh herbs.
I’ll tell you my secret for packing tons of flavor into the grilled dish – a simple marinade that is used on both the shrimp and the veggies. The base of the marinade is Ken’s Simply Vinaigrette Garlic & Basil dressing – one of their new dressing flavors! The dressing adds tons of fresh flavor, so I just mix it up with a few other ingredients, like lemon juice and black pepper to help it retain those flavors once it hits the grill. The vinaigrette is a perfect balance of flavors with the tangy vinegar, bold garlic, and fresh, crisp basil – it infuses all of that tasty goodness into the shrimp.
I use the same Garlic Basil vinaigrette to lightly brush on the veggie skewers before they hit the grill. All of the elements get cooked quickly from the high heat of the grill, and taste so fresh when served warm over couscous with crisp torn basil leaves. It’s a hit with my family for an easy weeknight dinner, but looks so pretty and colorful on the skewers, it would be perfect for some outdoor entertaining too! You can prep the skewers a few hours in advance and pop them on the grill when your guests are ready to eat. Get the full recipe below:
- 1 Lb. of Extra Large Uncooked Shrimp
- 1 Cup of Ken’s Garlic Basil Dressing
- 1 Clove of Fresh Garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. of Lemon Juice
- 1 Cup of Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 Zucchini
- 1 Red Onion
- Salt and Pepper
- Couscous, for serving
- Fresh Basil
- Peel shrimp (thaw if frozen) and place in a bowl.
- Combine ¾ of a cup of Ken’s Garlic Basil Dressing with minced garlic, and lemon juice, and black pepper. Pour the mixture over the shrimp and let it marinate for 20-60 minutes.
- Pre-heat the grill to medium-high heat.
- While the grill heats up, prepare the skewers. Slice zucchini into ½” pieces, quarter the red onion, and thread the zucchini, red onion slices and tomatoes on two skewers. Brush the veggie skewers with the reaming ¼ cup of Ken’s Garlic Basil Dressing and season with salt and pepper. Thread the shrimp on the remaining two skewers.
- Place the four skewers on the grill and cook until the veggies have crisped and the shrimp is pink and opaque – about 7-9 minutes.
- Remove from the grill and plate over couscous; top with fresh basil leaves before serving.
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Please note: This post was created in partnership with Ken’s Foods. All opinions, images, and content are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support this site.
